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Jeremić Participates in a Conference on the Future UN Secretary-General

18.01.2016

The President of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) Vuk Jeremić participated today in an international conference entitled “The Agenda of the Future United Nations Secretary-General” in Paris.

The conference was organized by the prestigious French institution of higher education Sciences Po and the daily newspaper Le Monde. The event featured a number of prominent figures, including political scientists and international relations scholars, as well as high-level French officials.

The conference attracted a special degree of international attention, as it was the first event to feature panel discussions with declared and prospective candidates to be the next United Nations Secretary-General.

"In this turbulent time for international relations, characterized by rising geopolitical tensions and regional crises, strengthening multilateralism and revitalizing the UN is the only viable and sustainable option," Jeremić said.

CIRSD's President also said that the United Nations is slowly shifting towards a state of irrelevance, and stressed the need to reform the organization so it can continue to play a vital role in the 21st century.

“The key choice in the process of appointing the new UN Secretary-General is between continuing existing practices and further marginalization of the organization on the one hand, and conducting essential reforms that would make the organization able to better respond to challenges of its time,” Jeremić declared.

Participants of the event included the French Minister of Economy Emmanuel Macron, Head of the French Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Elisabeth Guigou, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs Elmar Brok, the Director-General of UNESCO and Bulgaria’s candidate for the position of Secretary-General Irina Bokova, President of the International Crisis Group Jean-Marie Guehenno, and many others.

The election the new UN Secretary-General will make for perhaps the most important process in 2016. Today’s conference thus represents the first in the series of forthcoming international events that will serve as platforms for prospective candidates to exchange their views on the future of the UN.